INNOCENT
by Aphrodite-Venus-u.k
Summary: Marcus Flint is convicted on a crime, but is he innocent? Yes, there were some things that he wasn't proud of. He wasn't doing it to be the bad guy. He was doing it to protect someone he was very close to.


Innocent

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Innocent" was written by Taylor Swift. It is off her third album "Speak Now." I don't own anything.

Authors: Aphrodite-venus-u.k. and Vampirediary

Author's Note: Author's Note: This year my goal is to write a fanfiction for every song off Taylor Swift's album "Speak Now."

Time: Marcus is twenty-four. So three years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows..

Genre: Drama, Angst, and Friendship

Date Finished: April 27, 2011

**All are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. **

**Two Years Earlier**

Three young men entered a bar in southern England. Both had the hood of their cloaks up. They didn't want to be seen together. In fact, they weren't supposed to be together. No one was to know the truth.

No one could ever know.

"Are you sure?" one asked.

The others nodded.

"It's too risky. I wouldn't let you go through with it."

"Don't worry about it," a second replied.

"You guys could get into so much trouble."

"They wouldn't be able to prove anything."

"It's just a matter of staying quite," the third said.

"Are you sure?" the first asked again.

"Positive."

**Now **

Marcus Flint watched as his three-year-old daughter, Emily, raced up the steps to retrieve yet another toy. The living room floor was already littered with them. On the floor next to him, in one of the few bare stops, his six-month-old twin girls, Anna and Renee, laid sleeping for the first time since they were born. Katie was in the kitchen with their few house elves cooking supper. She had left him on babysitting duty, but he could tell that she really didn't trust him with the job. Every few minutes he saw her peek in to check on them.

There was so much trust in the house.

With her arms filled with a box of building blocks, Emily came running back down the stairs. "Daddy?" she asked. Her innocent, blue eyes looked hopeful.

Marcus smiled. He would never get used to be called "Daddy." He couldn't believe he had a family. It was a shock he never really got over.

At twenty-four, he was at the height of his Quidditch career. He had been centre Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons for nearly seven years, was currently in his second year of graduate school, had a beautiful wife, and whatever he wanted. He had also fought in the last Dark War with the Order, which he had been a member of for five years. He was one of the wealthiest person in his age group.

Yes, there were some things that he wasn't proud of. He wasn't doing it to be the bad guy. He was doing it to protect someone he was very close to.

That wasn't so bad was it?

Did it still make him an innocent?

He looked down at his own innocent. "Sure."

Her eyes lit up with joy as she dumped the blocks on the floor. "Good. Mummy said I had to keep you out of trouble."

"Why?" Marcus inquired.

Emily shrugged. "I don't think you trusts along with the twins."

Marcus laughed. "She would."

"Beat I can make a bigger tower than you," Emily said as she pushed half of the blocks over to him.

"I your dreams," Marcus said as he began to build.

"Well, outside of Quidditch you're not all that graceful." Emily studied her blocks.

"Why?"  
>"Don't know. You're just a klutz."<p>

"Do you even know what that means?"

"No, but that's what Grandpa called you."

Minnie, a house elf, came into the room and handed Marcus the Daily Prophet. Before throwing it on the coffee table, he didn't really look at it. However, one headline caught his eye. He swore.

Emily looked up from her blocks. "I do know that's a bad word, Daddy. And I know that I'm not supposed to say them."

The young Death Eater screamed. People always said that the Ministry always treated people fairly. That was different when they wanted information. When they wanted it, they went to all extremes to get it.

Even if it involved hurting someone else...

"Who hid you?" the Auror inquired.

"NO ONE!" the Death Eater screamed.

"YOU'RE LYING!" the Auror roared. "THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD'VE STAYED HIDDEN FOR TWO YEARS IS FROM HELP! NOW WHO WAS IT?"

"I HAD NO HELP!"

The door opened and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room. "Nick, stop," he told the Auror. "I know who it was."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you when I give you their arrest warrants."

"How many?"

"Two."

"Male or female?"

"Male."

"Age?"

"Does it matter?"

"No."

"Take Mr. Pucey to his holding cell. His friends will be joining him shortly."

Adrian Pucey looked up at the two Aurors. "How you know about them?"

"Who?" Kingsley asked.

"The other two."

"I think you just told us."

Katie stood in front of Marcus with her arms crossed over her chest. Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose as a crash sounded upstairs. What was Emily up to? He walked over to the sink and gripped the counter.

"How could you do this, Marcus?" Katie hissed, not wanting to be heard by the kids. "What am I going to do if they arrest you?"

"I don't know, Katie, but he was my friend. What could I do? Let him get sent to Azkaban and die?" he asked under his breath.

"Look around, Marcus, not only is he going, but so are you!" she said, throwing her hands up. "The kids? What am I supposed to do with the kids? What am I supposed to tell them?"

"Nothing yet, nothing's happened. Just try and focus on right now, Katie. I'll figure something out," he said as the phone rang. He looked up sharply and exchanged a look with Katie. She shrugged and crossed her arms again. They stood there until the machine picked it up and then Marcus picked the receiver up and slammed it down. "Not a word to the kids."

"Why would I tell them anything about this?" she hissed as the heard Emily's footsteps on the stairs. The girl ran into the room and found them like that. She looked between both of her parents.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Katie plastered a smile on her face.

"Nothing, honey, go play," she said. Emily looked at Marcus, who looked away and stared out the window. She shrugged before running off and calling her dog. "This is your problem, Marcus, deal with it while I think of something to tell the kids." He sighed and watched as she walked out of the room and slammed their bedroom door shut. He winced and Emily's calling silenced. She walked in and hugged Marcus.

"Is everything going to be okay?" she whispered. Marcus knelt down next to her and smoothed her blonde hair. She looked so much like Katie.

"Everything's going to be fine, I just have some things to figure out," he said and kissed her forehead before hugging her.

Adrian Pucey looked up in time to see a brown haired man walk into the room. He jumped to his feet, but an Auror pushed him back down. He sat there, helpless as Marcus Flint was questioned. He had never wanted this. He'd never wanted to hurt that man, his best friend. After all Marcus had done for him...

"Innocent until proven guilty, but by silence I presume he knows something," the Auror said once he was done with Marcus. He thrust him down and one last person walked in, struggling against the Aurors. "Chris Derrick."

"Idiot," Marcus hissed at Adrian. He looked away, hurt, and guessing that Marcus wasn't his friend anymore.

"You're trial will be scheduled. No bail until the trial. Azkaban has a couple of cells with your names on them. If found guilty, you can spend up to five years there. If not, well, people won't trust you anymore, but that's your fault," one of the Aurors said. Adrian buried his head in his hands. This was all his fault.

Adrian was led from the room and down a hall where they departed to Azkaban. Chills ran up and down his spine just looking at it. He glanced over his shoulder to see the other two men arrive, both shaken. He swallowed and walked with the Auror into the prison with his head held high. He was not going to let this ruin his attitude.

Marcus sat in the cell, his head in his hands. He looked up every time an Auror walked past. At least in this part there were no Dementors. This was just the part where they were held until their trial unless they were allowed out on bail.

A man stopped in front of the cell and looked Marcus over. Marcus stared at the man before turning his head and staring at the wall. He felt like Emily did whenever she got in trouble, a little, mad child.

"Marcus Flint, I presume?" he asked. Marcus stared at him with already lifeless eyes. "You are Marcus Flint, right?"

"Yes," he drawled slowly. The man cleared his throat and Marcus saw him glance at Adrian in the cell across from Marcus, the cell he refused to look in. "What do you want?" He took pleasure in seeing the man jump.

"I presume that you remember me, correct?" the man asked.

"Yes, Minister, I know who you are," Marcus said, crossing the cell to where he stood.

"I have a plan, Marcus. I know what you did was stupid and I know you think so too, so here it is," he said. "You tell the truth at your trial tomorrow and I might be able to get you out of coming back." Marcus stared at him. The man nodded before walking away briskly. He glared at Adrian and crossed back to his corner.

Marcus stood in the center of the room. All around him, people sat, staring at him, waiting to see what he might do next. He looked back at the people sitting at the podium, peering at him over their half moon spectacles. It caused him to wonder how many of them actually needed them, seeing that they wore them on the tip of their nose.

The inauguration began. Are you really Marcus Flint? When were you born? Why did you do it? Who are your parents? What was the date this happened? How old are you? On and on they went.

"Why are you truly here?" the judge asked, leaning forward. His first reaction was to say that it was to tell the truth, but he bit his tongue. "Mr. Flint? Why are you here?"

"Because I hid Adrian Pucey," he said in a whisper. He looked up in the stands and met Kingsley's eyes, who nodded.

"Very well, we'll make our decision and be in contact," the judge said. "Next!"

Marcus was thrust outside the room where Kingsley met him. He took Marcus from the Aurors.

"Good job," he said. "You'll be home for supper probably."

"That's if Katie wants me back," he said. Kingsley shook his head at him.

"You'll be welcomed. After all, who can resist this face?" he asked as a blonde four year old stepped from the shadows and into Marcus's arms. He buried his face in Emily's hair and felt her little arms go around him. "I'll give you a moment."

"I love you, Emily," Marcus said, kissing his daughter's head. She laughed and kissed his cheek.

"I love you too, Daddy," she whispered. "Don't be sad, Mummy will let you back in. I'll make her!"

"I'm sure you will," he said, laughing. She smiled at him and he couldn't get over how much she looked like her mum. "I'm sure you will."


End file.
